The present invention relates to a toy device for launching or firing glow-in-the-dark projectiles. The toy comprises projectiles exposed to light prior to being launched and a firing mechanism wherein a portion of the firing mechanism is positioned with the projectile prior to being fired from the launcher. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toy launching device having a phosphorescent-activating radiation source which activates glow-in-the-dark projectiles before the projectiles are launched from the projectile launcher.
It is recognized in the toy art that glow-in-the-dark objects and toys are appealing to both adults and children. It is also known in the toy art that toy launching devices, i.e., toy guns, sling shots, bows and arrows, etc., are appealing to both adults and children. Normally, people are not able to play with toys in the dark either because they can not see the appealing aspects of the toy or they would not be able to see another person who may be playing along. A toy gun which launches glow-in-the-dark projectiles would allow the user to play with the device in the dark while still being able to visibly see the projectile. The dark would actually enhance the appealing aspects of the present invention.
A related invention in the art of launching phosphorescent projectiles from a launcher is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,151 (Fusi et al). This patent utilizes a combination of a toy launcher along with a phosphor-containing projectile. The launcher comprises means for launching the phosphor-containing projectiles outwardly from the launcher, and means for exposing the projectiles within the launcher to phosphorescence-activating radiation prior to the projectile leaving the launcher. The disclosed means for exposing the projectile to phosphorescence-activating radiation prior to the projectile leaving the launcher are a plurality of lighting elements on the inner surface of the barrel and/or a lighting element in or about the breech. The lighting elements in the breech illuminate the projectile prior to its being fired or launched from the breech. The lighting elements in the barrel illuminate the projectile after it is launched from the breech but before it leaves the barrel. However, the Fusi et al. device does not provide for an radiation exposing device located immediately adjacent to or attached to a firing mechanism for exposing the projectile to phosphorescence-activating radiation prior to the projectile being launched. Also, while the Fusi et al. device may be well-suited for its intended purpose, it does not optimize the exposure of projectile to light.
There is a need in the art for a toy launcher where a portion of the firing mechanism is positioned within a glow-in-the-dark projectile prior to being fired in order to enhance firing capabilities. In addition, there is a need in the art for an toy launcher for launching glow-in-the-dark projectiles where the projectiles are exposed to phosphorescent-activating radiation by an exposing means located adjacent to or attached to the firing mechanism. Using the firing mechanism to expose the projectiles to phosphorescent-activating radiation will maximize exposure to the projectile while minimizing the energy required to illuminate the exposure device. In addition, positioning the exposure device adjacent to or attached to the firing mechanism will enhance uniform radiation exposure to the glow-in-the-dark projectile.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a toy that fires projectiles that glow in the dark. The glow in the dark projectiles allow the toy gun to effectively be used in the dark. The present invention may be used to expose the glow-in-the-dark projectiles to phosphorescent-activating radiation prior to the projectile being loaded in the gun. The present invention may expose the glow-in-the-dark projectiles to phosphorescent-activating radiation by exposing means located within or attached adjacent to the firing mechanism.
The present invention may provide within the firing mechanism of the launching device a firing pin wherein the radiation exposure device may be located. The exposure device may be activated either through actuation of the firing mechanism or separately activated. The exposure device may then expose the glow-in-the-dark projectiles to phosphorescent-activating radiation prior to the projectile being launched from the projectile launcher.
The present invention provides an apparatus for use as a toy that comprises a projectile launcher and a projectile which glows in the dark. The projectile launcher comprises a firing mechanism wherein a portion of the firing mechanism is positioned within the projectile before being fired. In one embodiment, the projectile launcher may comprise a firing mechanism comprising a light source for exposing the projectiles to radiation prior to being launched from the launcher. The present invention is particularly suited for use as a toy projectile launcher wherein the toy may be used in dark or low-light areas.
In one embodiment the projectile launcher comprises a body, a trigger mechanism, a firing mechanism, and a pumping system. In some embodiments the launcher may also comprise a tank. In some embodiments, the projectile launcher may also comprise a projectile container, i.e., a clip or a magazine. In different embodiments, these components can be arranged differently in order to create a different looking projectile launcher with different capabilities. For instance, in some embodiments, the body may be smaller, or have a different shape. In these embodiments, the pumping mechanism may be set in different locations on the body for convenience, or, in order to accommodate for the lack of space, the projectile magazine may contain more or less projectiles, or the size of the parts of the mechanisms may be larger or smaller.
In some embodiments, the light source may be in the form of visible light and would expose the projectiles prior to being launched from the launcher in order to activate or excite the molecules to go into a state of spontaneous radiation emission. The length of time of the emission may persist for long periods, even hours, but characteristically minutes or seconds, depending on the phosphorescent material used.
The projectiles may be held in a container or clip. The clip may be inserted and removed from the gun through the use of a mechanical locking and unlocking system. The clip can be made to hold a selected number of projectiles, and can have a spring system included in order to continuously load the next projectile into a barrel of the projectile launcher. The clip may be larger or smaller, and hold fewer or more projectiles, depending on the capabilities of the body to hold a certain sized clip.
The body of the gun may also be optionally equipped with a scope. In one embodiment, the scope may have a magnifying lens to make objects appear closer. In another embodiment, a light emitting diode of any visible color could be located in the body and, when activated, emit light through a pinhole. The light could then be reflected off of a reflecting surface, oriented so as to reflect the emitted light to a specific point on a lens located at the opposite end of the scope as a user""s eye. This could give the user a view through the scope of a target with a small red dot projected onto it, thus giving the illusion of xe2x80x9claserxe2x80x9d targeting.
The gun may be equipped with a trigger mechanism, which a user activates to initiate launching of a projectile. In one embodiment, the trigger mechanism comprises a trigger, a trigger arm, a gear system, and a drawing pin. The trigger may take the appearance of virtually any known trigger, and could be made to support a trigger arm, which would act as a connection piece from the trigger to a gear system. The trigger may optionally be designed to activate a switch when it has been activated by a user, which could cause light emitting diodes placed in the body to activate. In one embodiment, the trigger could activate a switch that activates the light emitting diode in a scope. In other embodiments, the trigger could activate a switch that activates other light emitting diodes located on the body to make the gun aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
In one embodiment, the trigger arm could act as a connector for the trigger and the gear system. The trigger arm could be longer or shorter, depending on the shape of the body, and the desired placement of the firing mechanism in relation to the trigger. In one embodiment, the end of the trigger arm connecting to the gear system has splines on it to interact with a drive gear, so that when the trigger arm moves, the drive gear would turn.
The gear system of the trigger mechanism could be made up of many gears acting in concert, or just one drive gear, depending on the design of the system. The gear system may connect the trigger arm and a drawing pin in the trigger mechanism. In one embodiment, a drive gear and transfer gear can be used, so that movement of the trigger arm could cause the drive gear to rotate, and act on the transfer gear, which could be in contact with the drawing pin, and cause it to move a certain direction.
The drawing pin of the trigger mechanism could be used to draw back a firing mechanism when the trigger is activated. In one embodiment, the drawing pin is connected to a gear system and a firing mechanism. The drawing pin could be shaped so that it is able to connect to a gear system, draw a firing mechanism against a spring force, and release the connection at a point where the firing mechanism has been drawn back a certain distance. In one embodiment, the draw pin could have a xe2x80x9cliving hinge,xe2x80x9d as shown in the Figures, which would allow the draw hinge to let go of the firing pin at a predetermined point when drawing it back, and can reset itself into a position to draw back the firing mechanism again after it initially releases the firing mechanism.
In one embodiment, the firing mechanism comprises a barrel, a valve system, a firing pin and a firing spring. In one embodiment, the firing mechanism can be located in the body of the launcher adjacent to the barrel, and located so that the firing pin may interact with the projectiles as they are loaded into the barrel from the magazine or clip.
In one embodiment, the firing mechanism is connected to a tank containing a gas under pressure. In one embodiment, the gas is air, and is loaded into the tank via a pump system. The firing mechanism can be connected to the tank with a hose connecting the tank to the valve of the firing mechanism. In one embodiment, the valve is located in a housing, having a generally tubular, substantially hollow appearance, which is connected to the firing pin. In one embodiment, the valve of the firing mechanism can comprise a gasket connected to a valve pin and a knocker carried on a spring. The gasket may be located on one side of the valve housing, located between an inlet from the tank, and the connection to the firing pin, closing off an opening. The knocker and spring assembly could be located on the other side of the valve housing, so that the valve pin has the knocker attached to one end that protrudes from the valve housing with the spring in between the knocker and the end of the valve housing, with the other end of the valve pin going through the valve housing, and being attached to the gasket. In one embodiment, the firing mechanism may move in one direction when released by the trigger mechanism, so that the knocker comes into contact with a static surface. This could cause the valve pin to displace inside of the valve housing against the force of the valve spring. This displacement could move the gasket, causing gas from the tank to enter the valve housing, and enter the firing pin. If the knocker then ceases contact with a static surface, the force of the valve spring could replace the system, causing the gasket to once again seal off the opening from the tank to the valve housing.
In one embodiment, the valve housing could be connected to a firing pin. The firing pin could have a generally tubular, substantially hollow housing. The firing pin can connect to the valve housing through a side of the firing pin housing, and have one end of the pin housing enclosed, and the other end open. The enclosed end could be attached to a main firing spring, which could resist compression between the firing pin and a static surface. The open end of the firing pin could face an end of the barrel, so that projectiles located in the barrel can interact with the open end of the firing pin. In one embodiment, the outer perimeter of the pin housing is able to fit inside of the hollow end portion of the projectiles.
The firing pin can also be connected to the draw pin of the trigger mechanism, so that when the draw pin moves with the trigger mechanism, the firing pin mechanism will move with the draw pin against the force of the main firing spring. At a predetermined position, the firing pin housing could be released from the draw pin. The restoring force from the main firing spring could cause the firing mechanism to move in a direction towards the barrel, so that the open end of the firing pin comes into contact with the projectile in the barrel, and the knocker of the valve system contacts a static surface. In one embodiment, when this happens, a burst of gas from the pressurized tank can run through the valve housing, into the firing pin, out of the open end of the firing pin, and into the projectile, sending the projectile through the barrel and out of the gun.
In another embodiment, the firing mechanism may be motorized, whereby the trigger actuates a motor to cause the motorized movement of the transfer gears. The transfer gear in this embodiment causes the firing mechanism to be drawn back against a spring force. The gear system may disengage, causing the firing mechanism to release and project forward causing the firing pin to enter the projectile. The firing mechanism would be simultaneously connected to a motorized pumping system for launching the projectile from the launcher.
The light source used to activate the glow-in-the-dark projectiles may be located adjacent to or attached to the firing pin of the firing mechanism. A switch for activating the light source may be positioned so that the forward movement of the firing mechanism closes the switch to activate the light source while the firing pin is moving forward into the projectile, when it has reached the extent of its travel into the projectile, or as it is moved relatively to the projectile.
The tank of the gun can have any shape or form. In one embodiment, the tank is designed to hold a gas under pressure. The tank can have an inlet coming from a pump system, and an outlet going to a firing mechanism. The inlet and outlet can be in the form of hoses, and one-way valves could be located in both the inlet and outlet, in order to keep the tank pressurized while allowing gas to be pumped in. In one embodiment, the tank has a purge valve, which may be designed so that when the tank is at a certain pressure, the purge valve could allow gas to leak out of the tank, to avoid over pressurizing the tank, and causing the tank to leak, break, or burst.
The pumping system of the invention can be designed to pump gas into the tank of the launcher. In one embodiment, the pumping system comprises a manual, hand pump system. This system could be located on the edge, or outside of the body, so that a user may manually pump gas into the tank. In this embodiment, the pumping system could comprise a pump arm, a pump body, and a connection to the tank.
In another embodiment, the pump system comprises a motor, located inside the body, designed to simultaneously causes the firing mechanism to draw back and enter into the projectile, exposing it to light, while also pumping air into the pump body and out the firing pin to launch the projectile. In another embodiment, the motor would automatically pump air into a tank and the firing mechanism would not be motorized, and instead be manually driven by the trigger mechanism interacting with the firing mechanism.
While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein is shown and described by way of illustration best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.